Hinged connections for folding cribs or the like



JI GRAD'EKI July 27, I965 HINGED CONNECTIONS FOR FOLDING.% CRIBS OR THE IJI'KEZ 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1963 ATTORNEYS y 1965 J. GRADEK 3,196,467

HINGED CONNECTIONS FOR FOLDING CRIBS OR THE LIKE Filed OCt. 7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 2/ V 27 0 s 23 x /3 ,fi 1 i7 25 2% i I y i 35 //WA/I'0/? Jim GRADE/f ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,196,467 HINGED CONNECTIONS FOR FOLDING CRIBS OR THE LIKE Jan Gradelr, St.-Eustache, Quebec, Canada Filed Oct. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 314,209 4 Claims. (Cl. -102) The present invention generally relates to folding cribs for dolls or the like and more particularly to a hinged connection for connecting the lower ends of the side panels to the crib head and foot panels.

I structure for folding the panels in overlapping relationship, it is necessary, with prior hinge connections, to have the two side panels vertical. It was not possible, until the development of the present invention, to obtain a crib for dolls which would have inwardly inclined side panels while providing, at the same time, the possibility of folding all panels in the said overlapping relationship.

It is, therefore, a main object of the invention to provide a hinge for the lower ends of the side panels of a dolls crib, as connectors to the head and foot panels, providing both for the folding of all panels in overlapping relationship while afiording the possibility of obtaining inwardly inclined side panels when the crib is in unfolded condition.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a hinge made of two simple detachable parts which can easily and cheaply be manufactured.

The above objects may be attained in a hinge made according to the invention which is adapted to connect two members whereby one member may be folded over the other, the hinge comprising a retainer element adapted to be secured to a first of the members, a connector element having means at one end thereof for connection to a second of said members to allow the latter to swing around an axis parallel to and spaced from the retainer element and the first member; cooperating connecting and swinging means on the other end of the connector element and on the retainer element to hold the two members together and to allow the connector element to swing at said other end around a second axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis whereby to allow the second member to swing around the second axis.

In the preferred form of the invention, the hinge comprises: a retainer member; an L-shaped conector member having two legs perpendicular to one another; an oblong hole through said retainer member having a long axis and a short axis; an extended portion at the end of one of said legs having an axial extent greater than said short axis and smaller than said long axis; said portion being parallel to the other leg of the connector member whereby both members are detachable from one another by properly rotating the connector member in relation to the retainer member and the said connector member is also swingable about an axis parallel to the free leg of the connector when the latter is retained in the retainer member.

Further objects and other advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention proceeds having regard to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a crib embodying the hinge of the invention;

3,196,467 Patented July 27, 1965 FIGURE 2 is also a perspective view of the crib shown in folded condition;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the crib also in folded condition;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a hinge made according to the invention shown as connected to the related part of the crib;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view similar to that of FIGURE 4 with the hinge shown in a different position;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the upper hinge connection.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the crib is formed of head and foot panels 1 and 3 respectively, interconnected by rigid side panels 5 having top and bottom members 33, 35 connected to the head and foot panels 1 and 3 by hinge means as will hereinafter be more fully described.

In the unfolded condition of FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the bottom part of the side panels 5 are swung inwardly and take on an inwardly inclined position, by rotating about the upper hinged connection 8, whereby to simulate an actual baby crib. This inward position of the lower ends of the side panels 5 is retained by a properly dimensioned bottom or berth panel 9 provided with suitable downwardly directed lugs 15 adapted to be inserted in corresponding holes 16 in bottom members 35.

The hinge connection 8 is of conventional construction and may comprise a plate 2 to be fixed to the appropriate panel 1 or 3 by means of a screw 4. Upon a bulge 6 thereon, is secured an L-shaped bracket 10 having an upturned part loosely fitting into a suitable recess through an upper member 33 of a side panel 5.

In FIGURE 2, it will be seen that, for folding the crib, the berth or bottom panel 9 is first removed and then the bottom members 35 of side panels 5 are swung outwardly by means of the hinged connection 10 of the invention and when the said side panels 5 are perfectly vertical, it is possible to fold the various panels one over the other as illustrated.

The hinged connection of the invention which makes possible rotation of the various panels to attain the overlapping relationship of FIGURES 2 and 3 and also swing ing action of the side panels 5 around the hinged connection 8 is illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 and is seen to comprise a retainer member 11 secured to the panels 1 and 3 by means of screws 13, the said retainer element also having .an oblong hole 21 with a horizontal long axis and a vertical short axis. The said oblong hole extends through a raised portion 19 of the retainer element for a purpose to be determined later.

The second and removable part of the hinge of the invention is an L-shaped connector element 23 having a horizontal leg 25 and a second leg 27 which, in assembled condition of the crib, is vertical. The free end of the horizontal leg 25 is flattened as at 29 with its axis parallel to leg 27, this flattened portion having an axial extent greater than the short axis of oblong hole 21 but smaller than the long axis thereof. It is assembled with retainer element 11 by being first inserted with leg 27 disposed horizontally as shown in dotted lines in FIG- URE 4 and then rotated as indicated by arrow a whereby the said flattened portion 29 stands vertical and cannot be pulled through oblong hole 21 as its axial extent is greater than the short axis of said hole. In assembled condition, the free end of the L-shaped connector loosely fits into a groove 31 in bottom member 35.

The upper hinge means may be of any known type provided it allows for pivoting upper member 33 at the end thereof. For instance, hinged connection 8 may comprise an L-shaped connector element similar to that of the hinge of the invention with an upwardly extending leg loosely insertable into a recess through upper mem- I .g, ,..,.man... --,,..r... i V i i bers 33, the other leg of the L -shapedconnector being nector member is a constant diameter-rod and said'exsecured 'topanels 1 and 3. Inthis manner, it will .be possible to rotate the various panels whereby to' obtain the above-mentioned overlapping relationship.

of an actual baby crib; The illustration of FIGURE 5, on the other hand, is that of FIGURES 2 and 3 wherein the bottom; members 35 are svv'un'g outwardlyand side panels are vertical. This is the position from which itis possible to obtain the folding condition er FIGURE 2.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has just been described, it will be'nnderstood that various '1 modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the inventiomthe' scope of whichis set forth in the appended claims. I

I claimi a 1. In a-folding crib having a-head and foot panel and two side panels connected thereto so as to fold over said head and foot panels inoverlappingrelationship, each side panel having a bottom member, hinges for joining said bottom members to said head and foot panels to allow said side panels to swing inwardly towards one a another when said crib isnntolded, each hingecornpris-p ing: arretaine'r member, for each end of said bottom'member, secured to said head and foot panels; an L-shaped:

loosely received'in a downwardly extending groove-oi having .an oblong hole therethrough with a long and a short axi'sg an extended portion at the end of the other leg of each connector member havingan axial extent greatcrthan saidshor't axis and smaller than said long:

axis; said p'ortionbeing parallel to the other leg of connector member. 7

2. A hinge .as claimed the in claim 1,' wherein said con tended portion is a flattened end ofsaid rod.

3. Hinge means for connecting a first and a second panel of a toldable vcrib, said first panel having rigidly interconnectedtop and bottom members and said second panel having a substantially flat face, one end of said members to be connected to' saidflat face, said hinge means comprising: f V V (a) a top hinge connection between said top member and said fiat face adapted to allow'said first member to be folded over said second member; (b) a second hinge connection comprising:

a retainer member fixed to said second panel;

' an L-s'haped connector having a downwardly extending 'le'g loosely; fitting into arecess in said bottom member to allow folding of said first member over said second'niember and a horizontal leg; i means connecting said horizontal leg to said retainer member to allow said connector to swing laterally around an axis perpendicular to the 7 axis of the horizontal l'eg'iand located at the g outer free end thereof. 1 V 4. Hinge means as c'laimed in claim 3, wherein said last named means comprises an oblong hole' through said retainer elemen't'having a horizontal long axis and a vertical short axis; a flattened vertical portion-on the end of saidhorizontal leg having an axial extent greater than said shortl axis and smaller-than: said long axis.

References Cited by tlreExaminer UNITED STATES" PATENTS 12 /05 ,Street $12-$22 X 3/53 Buk o1t' s-,-11

FOREIGN PATENTS 9/4 0- Denmark. a

40 FRANK B. SHERRY, r l-msaEm-m 

1. IN A FOLDING CRIB HAVING A HEAD AND FOOT PANEL AND TWO SIDE PANELS CONNECTED THERETO SO AS TO FOLD OVER SAID HEAD AND FOOT PANELS IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP, EACH SAID PANEL HAVING A BOTTOM MEMBER, HINGES FOR JOINING SAID BOTTOM MEMBERS TO SAID HEAD AND FOOT PANELS TO ALLOW SAID SIDE PANELS TO SWING INWARDLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER WHEN SAID CRIB IS UNFOLDED, EACH HINGE COMPRISING: A RETAINER MEMBER, FOR EACH END OF SAID BOTTOM MEMBER, SECURED TO SAID HEAD AND FOOT PANELS; AN L-SHAPED CONNECTOR MEMBER, FOR EACH RETAINER, HAVING TWO LEGS PERPENDICULAR TO ONE ANOTHER; ONE OF SAID LEGS BEING LOOSELY RECEIVED IN A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING GROOVE OF EACH BOTTOM MEMBER END WHEREBY THE SIDE PANELS MAY SWING AROUND THE AXIS OF SAID LEG; SAID RETAINER MEMBER HAVING AN OBLONG HOLE THERETHROUGH WITH A LONG AND A SHORT AXIS; AN EXTENDED PORTION AT THE END OF THE OTHER LEG OF EACH CONNECTOR MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL EXTENT GREATER THAN SAID SHORT AXIS AND SMALLER THAN SAID LONG AXIS; SAID PORTION BEING PARALLEL TO THE OTHER LEG OF THE CONNECTOR MEMBER. 